All you need to know before coming
Arusha
If you want to travel to Tanzania, the city of Arusha is a required step. Arusha is located near Mount Meru (4565 meters) and 60 km from Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa with 5895 meters). From our hostel you can have a walk around Meru forest and you will be able to see its beautiful environment.
Arusha is also surrounded by some of the most important National Parks of Africa like Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, etc.
Which documentation do I need to travel around Tanzania?
Passport with a minimum of 6 months of validity since your arrival. The tourist visa can be purchased on arrival at each international airport (Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam) or in the borders, for a price of 50$ and it´s valid for 90 days.
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If you want to perform volunteer work is a must to have a volunteer visa which is $200 more, (250$ in total), this visa can be done at the airport or it can be managed once you're already in the hostel. It´s also valid for 90 days. It´s a government requirement.
What medical precautions do i need to take before the trip?
Go to your vaccination center at least one month before traveling and they will help you with all the appropriate steps you should take.The most recommended vaccines are: yellow fever (it´s a must if you go to Zanzibar or if you stop in Kenya or Ethiopia before coming to Tanzania, if not it´s not necessary), typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B, cholera, malaria... Follow your doctor´s specific instructions.
Medical Insurance
Our advice is that is better to travel to Tanzania with health insurance. If you give us all the information we will call them in case of an emergency.
Which airport do I have to travel to?
Tanzania has two International Airports: Kilimanjaro or Dar es Salaam. Kilimanjaro airport is around 30Km far from our hostel so it´s the best option but sometimes is very expensive depending on the season. The best option if you travel to Daar er Salam is to take a flight to Kilimanjaro or to Arusha Airport (is not an International airport).
Which currency is used in Tanzania?
Local currency is Tanzanian Shilling (Tsh), nowadays 1€ = 2500Tshs and 1$ = 2230Tsh.
There are several banks around the area where you can exchange money but also so you can take money from an ATM. Ask your bank to know if you have any restriction.
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An important fact is that dollars prior to 2006 are not accepted in Tanzania.
Which language is spoken in Tanzania?
In Tanzania, Swahili is the National language but some people speak English.
Can I use my mobile phone?
You can buy a Tanzanian SIM card (it will cost around 1$) and incorporate it into your unlocked phone. It´s really cheap to have internet: it can cost 5$ per month, 8Gb.
Which precautions should I take there?
We recommend you to drink bottled water and the food should be well-cooked.
Bring sprays for mosquitoes bites with a high content of TT (30% at least).